Hop plant named &#39;Hort3829&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct hops plant is described. The triploid cultivar results out of selection from a population of seedlings derived from the open pollination of the cultivar ‘Hallertauer Mittelfrueh’ (not patented). The cones are of a medium size, oval shape and ripen early. The new cultivar appears suitable for beer flavouring in the aroma hops market.

GENUS AND SPECIES OF PLANT CLAIMED

Humulus lupulus L.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Hort3829’

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

The new cultivar was selected from a population of triploid seedlings derived from the open pollination of ‘Hallertauer Mittelfrueh’ (tetraploid version) in the 1998/99 season. Triploid seedlings obtained from this cross were grown in a nursery at Motueka, New Zealand in the 1999/2000 season. The resulting seedlings were then planted out in the field and grown in the 2000/01 season, during this season ‘Hort3829’ was selected and given the breeder code of 99-38-29. This cultivar was selected on the basis of its agronomic performance, seedlessness and chemistry profile.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A new and distinct hops plant is described. The cones of ‘Hort3829’ are of a medium size, oval shape and ripen early. The new cultivar appears suitable for beer flavouring in the aroma hops market.

‘Hort3829’ was relocated to the seedling selections repository, at the Motueka site, in 2001/02 where it underwent performance monitoring for agronomic and chemistry traits of commercial importance during 2001/02 and 2002/03. In 2001/02 it was clonally propagated in anticipation of good performance for a small plot replicated trial. For three seasons, from the 2002/03 to 2004/05, ‘Hort3829’ was trialled, along with ten other promising aroma selections and a control of ‘Pacifica’ (not patented), for its commercial potential. In the winter of 2005 it was decided to advance ‘Hort3829’ to large-scale testing. Over the next five seasons the cultivar underwent extensive brewing, agronomic, and chemistry evaluations in 150-plant plant plots at Motueka, New Zealand. In addition, two 500-plant grower trials were conducted in the Motueka area during the 2005-06 to 2010-11 seasons.

‘Hort3829’ is maintained at Motueka as a 150-plant plot where it has undergone observations for uniformity. All plants have been found to be true to type, that is, no off types have been observed. Under New Zealand growing conditions ‘Hort3829’ is distinguished from the known parental cultivar ‘Hallertauer Mittelfrueh’ and other varieties of common knowledge by the following characteristics along with its unique chemistry profile and brewing characteristics.

‘Hallertauer Mittelfrueh’: early season shoots of ‘Hort3829’ are reddish-green while those of ‘Hallertauer Mittelfrueh’ are green.

‘NZ Hallertauer’: when mature ‘Hort3829’ vines have an overall fusiform to cylindrical with a medium head volume, while ‘NZ Hallertauer is cylindrical in shape with a low head volume, longer laterals and on average a higher yield.

‘Pacifica’: when mature ‘Hort3829’ vines have an overall fusiform to cylindrical with a red stripe, while ‘Pacifica’ is cylindrical in shape with a green stripe.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying photographs show typical specimens of the plant habit, cones, and leaves of the new cultivar as depicted in colours as nearly true as is reasonably possible to make the same in colour illustration of this character.

FIG. 1: Five year mean of at harvest chemistry profiles for ‘Hort3829’ and two comparator cultivars ‘NZ Hallertauer’ (not patented) and ‘Pacifica’ (not patented). Trials and testing was conducted in Motueka, New Zealand.

FIG. 2: Mature fully expanded leaves of ‘Hort3829’ (A) and ‘NZ Hallertauer’ (B).

FIG. 3: Cones of ‘Hort3829’ (A) and ‘NZ Hallertauer’ (B).

FIG. 4: Close up of mature vines ‘Hort3829’ (A) and ‘NZ Hallertauer’ (B).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following is a description of the new cultivar with colour terminology in accordance with The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Charts (R.H.S.C.C.) 2001 edition. The specimens described were grown at Motueka, New Zealand. The observations were made over the 2009-2011 seasons.

-   Plant form and vigour: plants are of a normal growth type of a     fusiform to cylindrical and produce a moderate yield     (1500-2200kg/ha) of early maturing cones. The main shoot has a     medium anthocyanin colouration with a reddish purple stripe and few     thorns. The bine colour is red during spring and at maturity unlike     ‘Pacifica’ which is green, the vine stripe is also red. -   Laterals: the side shoots from the middle third of the plant are     short in length (an average of approximately 40.5 cm) but produce a     medium number of cones, approximately 12 per node. The upper third     of the plant also produces a medium number of cones; the laterals     are evenly distributed along the length of the plant. The density of     foliage on the laterals is considered to be moderately dense. -   Leaves: the lamina has between three and five lobes and the upper     surface has a very weak gloss, as opposed to the ‘Pacifica’ lamina     which has three lobes and a medium gloss on the upper surface. The     length of the lobes averaged 75.2 mm for the two shorter lobes,     numbered 1 and 5 (see FIG. 1) and 122.5 mm for the three longer     lobes, numbered 2, 3, and 4. Lobes were measured from the tip to     where they joined. The colour of the upper side of the leaves was     near green 139A while the lower side was between near green 137C and     138A. The colour of the veins was near yellow-green 146C-D, this     colouration extended down the length of the underside of the     petiole. The remainder of the petioles were coloured near     greyed-orange 166A. The petiole had an average length of 90.9 mm and     an average width of 4.8 mm. The petioles and both the topside and     underside of leaves had a different trichome form on them. The     topside of the leaves had white strigose trichomes, the underside     near yellow-green 145B strigose trichomes, while the petiole and     underside main vein had raised lumps the same colour as the     surrounding tissue topped with bifid transparent trichomes. -   Stipules: were medium sized, upright and green in colour. -   Cones: are medium sized, compact and oval in shape. The bract apex     is a medium length, the tip shape is acute, and the bracts are     closed. Cones are early maturing between 1st and 10th March under     average New Zealand conditions. -   Chemistry profile: ‘Hort3829’ has undergone extensive chemistry     profile testing and the following are the averages of five years of     data (FIG. 1). The data provided compares ‘Hort3829’ with ‘Pacifica’     and ‘NZ Hallertauer’ as these are commonly grown aroma hop cultivars     in New Zealand. The chemistry profile of ‘Hort3829’ differs     significantly from both ‘Pacifica’ and ‘NZ Hallertauer’ in a number     of ways; these include a higher percentage of alpha acids than     ‘Pacifica’ and a lower percentage of beta acids than either of the     comparators. The cohumulone percentage is also consistently lower,     with an average of 21, 25, and 34 percent for ‘Hort3829’,     ‘Pacifica’, and ‘NZ Hallertauer respectively. The proportion of     essential oils at harvest found in ‘Hort3829’ cones differs     considerably from that found in either ‘Pacifica’ or ‘NZ     Hallertauer’ as does the overall oil content (mg/100 g).     Consequently ‘Hort3829’ delivers a unique flavour, aroma, and     bittering quality when processed and is therefore considered to be     distinct. -   Use: flavouring and bittering ingredient for beer in the aroma     market. 

1. A new and distinct hops plant substantially as herein illustrated and described. 